Digital Research and Problem Solving
Digital research and problem solving requires us to draw upon many of the JISC capabilities to find information, create hypotheses, collect data and produce results. Provide your students with learning opportunities to develop these skills in class and then display them in an assessment.
Learning objectives
- Collect research data using digital tools
- Design online surveys
- Assess data collection methods
- Use novel tools and resources in flexible ways to solve complex problems
Higher level
- Make new discoveries and generate hypotheses and ideas
Activities
Survey design
- Organise the students into groups and ask them to design a short survey using Microsoft Forms, with a survey topic that is appropriate for everyone in the class to respond to, e.g. travel locations, music.
- Ask each group to fill out each other’s surveys.
- Ask the students to read this questionnaire design resource from the ABS.
- Get each group to look at their survey and fix errors or issues and report back to the class.
Debate
- Split the students into two groups, giving each one a treatment for a certain problem – something divisive.
- Ask them to gather evidence from the literature (you can request help from your liaison librarian).
- Set up a formal debate where each side has to present their research.
Wicked problem
- Give the students a wicked problem – for example, advancing obesity.
- Organise the students into groups and assign each group a different stakeholder to present as.
- Ask the students to gather evidence and make a short video showing the impacts on that stakeholder group now and in the future.
- Watch the videos as a class and then reflect on the videos.
Resources
- Collect and capture research data (QUT AIRS, online module)
- SAGE Research Methods Online (SRMO)(QUT subscribed database)
- Defining Digital Problem Solving(Reading)
- 15 Digital Problem Solving Tasks(Wrike, webpage)
